# Incident 20130925022739I: Cessna 172M, El Centro, CA, September 25, 2013

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 25, 2013, 20:35 local time
- Place: El Centro, CA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.7864° N, 115.5602° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of El Centro, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7864&lon=-115.5602&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9737V, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9737V) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172M (registry code 2072418, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 220 total, 219 in this make and model, 53 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130925022739I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PRIVATE PILOT/INSTRUMENT RATED AIRMAN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM LAS-MYF. BASED ON A STANDARD DUATS BRIEFING AND AN UPDATED ABBREVIATED BRIEFING PRE-DEPARTURE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ESTIMATED FLIGHT TIME ALONG THAT ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS WITH RESERVE. NO ALTERNATE WAS FILED AS DESTINATION WEATHER WAS EXCELLENT FOR THE FORECASTED ARRIVAL.

THE ABBREVIATED (UPDATED) BRIEFING WAS NEEDED FOR AN UP-TO-MINUTE BRIEF ON WINDS ALOFT AND AIRMETS FOR TURBULENCE AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD NOTICED A MASSIVE HIGH-PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPING AND "SANTA ANA" CONDITIONS DEVELOPING ALONG ROUTE AND AT HIS DESTINATION.

THE ABBREVIATED BRIEF SHOWED THAT ALONG MOST OF HIS CRUISE PORTION AT 10,000 MSL EAST OF JULIAN MOUNTAIN HE WOULD BE FLYING INTO AN APPROXIMATELY 25 KNOT HEADWIND. WEST OF THAT WAS LIGHT AND VARIABLE.  ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE PORTIONS OF THE ROUTE REPORTING MODERATE TURBULENCE BELOW 15,000' MSL.

AFTER HIS DEPARTURE FROM LAS @ APPROXIMATELY 16:57 LOCAL TIME, CHAU NOTICED THAT HIS GROUND SPEED WAS CONSIDERABLY SLOWER THAN  NORMAL BASED ON THE WEATHER BRIEFER REPORTED WINDS ALOFT FORECAST. IN FACT, INSTEAD OF 20-25 KNOT HEADWIND, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SEEING CLOSER TO 40 KNOTS OF HEADWINDS.

AT CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 10,000 MSL, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SEEING NEARLY 50 KNOT HEADWINDS. AS THIS REALIZATION OCCURRED, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IMMEDIATELY STARTED LOOKING FOR ALTERNATES ALONG THE ROUTE AS POSSIBLE FUEL STOPS. THE VICTOR AIRWAY HE WAS ON (V514) WAS OVER SEVERAL DESERT AIRPORTS (TNP, PSP,TRM, L08, UUD). AS HE LISTENED TO AUTOMATED WEATHER AT SEVERAL OF THESE OPTIONS, HE REALIZED THAT SURFACE CONDITIONS WOULD PROHIBIT HIM FROM LANDING OR SEEING MOST OF THESE AIRPORTS (WIND VELOCITY 20-35 KNOTS AT THE SURFACE WITH BLOWING SAND AND VISIBILITY WAY DOWN. MANY WERE CROSS-WINDS). AT THIS POINT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS NORTHEAST OF TNP/VOR AND GETTING DOWNDRAFTS OF 2000'/MINUTE. THE FORCE OF THE DOWNDRAFTS WERE SUSTAINED AND LOS ANGELES CENTER EVENTUALLY LET ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^CHAU^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^CHAU^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^CHAU^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^CHAU^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^CHAU^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^CHAU^ WITH APPROXIMATELY 8 GALLONS OF FUEL.

(CONTINUED BLOCK 43)

## Other reports on N9737V (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20140510006519I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140510006519I), May 10, 2014: Cessna 172M (N9737V), Riverside, CA, Minor damage. Reported flat tire on left main tire on taxiway echo. Towed to parking.
- [Incident 19830521035059I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830521035059I), May 21, 1983: Cessna 172M (N9737V), San Jose, CA, Minor damage. Engine quit on climb. Restarted. Engine RPM decreased. Top sparkplug center electrode and insulator had broken.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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